Sir John Eliot Gardiner discusses the creation of theEnglish Baroque Soloists.
Learn more: http://bit.ly/BeforeBach
Hearing the music of Bach and Handel performed with historically informed style and instruments led to an explosion in popularity of their music in recent times. Now, after several generations of performers honing these skills, their same approach is dazzling audiences with music written before 1685—the birth year of both Bach and Handel. This season, Carnegie Hall brings together an impressive assemblage of these artists for Before Bach, a month-long focus on the exciting music of that time.

Claudio Monteverdi - Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610. Sir John Eliot Gardiner at the VersaillesChapelle Royale with the Monteverdi Choir, the English Baroque Soloists and the Pages du Centre de musique Baroque de Versailles, Palace of Versailles, 2014. In 1964, Gardiner conducted it for the first time, and then he decided to found the Monteverdi Choir. This concert actually marks the 50th anniversary of this world-renowned vocal ensemble. Monteverdi Choir & Orchestras, please visit the support section of the website http://www.monteverdi.co.uk/support
Parts:
2:10 Domine ad adiuvandum
4:38 Dixit Dominus
13:13 Nigra sum sed formosa
17:58 Laudate, pueri, Dominum
24:15 Pulchra es, amica mea
28:32 Laetatus sum
36:24 Duo Seraphim clamabant
43:53 Nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum
48:54 Audi, coelum, verba mea
58:08 Lauda, Jerusalem, Dominum
1:03:33 Sonata sopra 'Sancta Maria' ora pro nobis
1:11:01 Ave maris stella
1:21:20 Magnificat
The historical interest of this work is almost as great as its inherent qualities. Vespers are part of the daily Offices, or Canonical Hours, of the church, music for the Offices including psalms (with antiphons), hymns, and canticles, as well as chanted lessons (with responsories). Although inspired by the ChurchOffice, Monteverdi's Vespers in many ways transcends the original concept, perfectly exemplifying the transition between austere Renaissance polyphony and sheer Baroque splendor. Monteverdi makes his characteristic contribution to sacred music in a bold, almost operatic, style, complete with daring stereophonic and echo effects, and includes a suite of instrumental dances, concerti sections for both voices and orchestra, and a love song. Completed in 1610, the Vespers was written for the court of the Gonzaga family in Mantua, where Monteverdi was employed from 1590 to 1612, and dedicated to Pope Paul V. But the composition's true home is undoubtedly the cathedral of St. Mark in Venice, where Monteverdi was appointed maestro di cappella in 1613. Indeed, the Vespers could well have been conceived with its echoing spaces, galleries, balconies, organ, and choir lofts in mind.
The overture, for choir and orchestra, is manifestly operatic, and close to that of Monteverdi's first opera, Orfeo - an upsurge of joyous energy, interposed by an orchestral toccata and ending with a jubilant Alleluia. The instrumentation (cornets, sackbuts, a variety of single and double reeds, recorders, strings, organ, and harpsichord) is, with the exception of the instrumental ritornelli, mainly intended to contribute to the formal structure of the choral sections, coloring the choir in the manner of organ stops, as in the "Dixit Dominus," "Laetatus sum," "Audi, coelum," and the beginning and end of the closing Magnificat, the climax of the whole work. The ways in which Monteverdi treats the cantus firmus by incorporating it into the counterpoint of the choral writing, as in "Dixit Dominus" (Psalm109), is not found in earlier choral literature, nor is the flowing, unfettered parlando (recitation) style used in "Nigra sum," a metrically free poem with allusions to the biblical Song of Solomon. The concerto "Due Seraphim" is probably the most interesting section in the Vespers. It is set for two "answering" voices - a sort of singing competition for angels - and almost exceeds the limits of human vocal technique. The choral writing is also demanding in its splendor and complexity, much of it in six, seven, and, as in the psalm "Laudate pueri," eight parts; yet the simplicity of the two-part hymn Ave Maris stella is also among the many treasures of this magnificent work.
Back in 2010, Gardiner had already conducted the Vespro at Versailles' Chapelle Royale, winning broad acclaim; this is the reason why it was decided to film the 2014 concert. The title page of the first edition is inscribed "ad Sacella sive Principum Cubicula accomodata Opera" (for use in princely rooms and chapels). According to the conductor, Versailles Chapelle Royale is the perfect place to perform this masterpiece, because the spatial disposition makes the audience experience the feeling of Renaissance concerts: the architecture and the various levels enhance the echo and the dialogs between the singers, performing from different heights.
Silvia Frigato, Emanuela Galli, sopranos
Raffaele Pè, alto
Krystian Adam, Nicholas Mulroy, Gareth Treseder, tenors
Alexander Ashworth, Robert Davies, bass
The Monteverdi ChoirThe English Baroque Soloists
Les Pages du Centre de musique baroque de Versailles
John Eliot GardinerRoyal Chapel at Versailles (Versailles, France)
Movie director: Stéphan AubéProduction: Wahoo - Château de VersaillesDisclaimer: All the music video belong to their rightful owners and creators, to whom all credit goes. My intend is purely for educational purposes and to expose more people to these wonderful works. I do not intend any copyright infringement and will gladly remove this video if asked to.

John Eliot Gardiner

Sir John Eliot Gardiner, CBE (born 20 April 1943) is an English conductor.

Life and career

Born in Fontmell Magna, Dorset, Gardiner's early musical experience came largely through singing with his family and in a local church choir. A self-taught musician who also played the violin, he began to study conducting at the age of 15. He was educated at Bryanston School, then studied history, Arabic, and medieval Spanish at King's College, Cambridge.

Sir Christopher Wren presided over the genesis of the English Baroque manner, which differed from the continental models by clarity of design and subtle taste for classicism. Following the Great Fire of London, Wren rebuilt fifty three churches, where Baroque aesthetics are apparent primarily in dynamic structure and multiple changing views. His most ambitious work was St Paul's Cathedral (1675–1711), which bears comparison with the most effulgent domed churches of Italy and France. In this majestically proportioned edifice, the Palladian tradition of Inigo Jones is fused with contemporary continental sensibilities in masterly equilibrium. Less influential were straightforward attempts to engraft the Berniniesque vision onto British church architecture (e.g., by Thomas Archer in St. John's, Smith Square, 1728) and the contemporary mood soon shifted toward the stripped down orthodoxy of British Palladianism popularised by Colen Campbell's influential Vitruvius Britannicus.

History

The English Baroque Soloists developed from the Monteverdi Orchestra, which was formed by John Eliot Gardiner in 1968. The Monteverdi Orchestra played on modern instruments, and accompanied Gardiner's Monteverdi Choir. In the late 1970s the orchestra transitioned to period instruments and became the English Baroque Soloists. The first concert under the new name was in 1977 at the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music, although the orchestra was not officially formed until 1978.

Relationship with other ensembles directed by Gardiner

The English Baroque Soloists often appear with John Eliot Gardiner's choir, the Monteverdi Choir.

In 1990 Gardiner formed the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, another period instrument ensemble. The Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique specialises in a later repertoire than that of the English Baroque Soloists, but shares some players.

A budget-range double CD entitled "A Classic Christmas" was released by Universal in 2005, which included two of the choir's recordings from 1998 ("Past Three O'Clock" and "The Lamb"), and which (presumably incorrectly) billed them as The Monteverdi Singers.

On 5 March 2014 the Choir celebrated its 50th anniversary with a repeat performance of the Monteverdi Vespers from King's College Chapel, in a concert broadcast live by BBC Radio 3.

Bach Cantata Pilgrimage

In 2000 the Choir, with the English Baroque Soloists, undertook an ambitious tour, the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage, in which it performed almost all of J.S. Bach'ssacred cantatas in more than 60 churches in Europe, the UK and the US to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the composer's death. Some cantatas were excluded a priori from the pilgrimage, as their composition was not associated with religious calendar commitments.

John Eliot Gardiner: English Baroque Soloists

Sir John Eliot Gardiner discusses the creation of theEnglish Baroque Soloists.
Learn more: http://bit.ly/BeforeBach
Hearing the music of Bach and Handel performed with historically informed style and instruments led to an explosion in popularity of their music in recent times. Now, after several generations of performers honing these skills, their same approach is dazzling audiences with music written before 1685—the birth year of both Bach and Handel. This season, Carnegie Hall brings together an impressive assemblage of these artists for Before Bach, a month-long focus on the exciting music of that time.

Claudio Monteverdi - Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610. Sir John Eliot Gardiner at the VersaillesChapelle Royale with the Monteverdi Choir, the English Baroque Soloists and the Pages du Centre de musique Baroque de Versailles, Palace of Versailles, 2014. In 1964, Gardiner conducted it for the first time, and then he decided to found the Monteverdi Choir. This concert actually marks the 50th anniversary of this world-renowned vocal ensemble. Monteverdi Choir & Orchestras, please visit the support section of the website http://www.monteverdi.co.uk/support
Parts:
2:10 Domine ad adiuvandum
4:38 Dixit Dominus
13:13 Nigra sum sed formosa
17:58 Laudate, pueri, Dominum
24:15 Pulchra es, amica mea
28:32 Laetatus sum
36:24 Duo Seraphim clamabant
43:53 Nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum
48:54 Audi, coelum, verba mea
58:08 Lauda, Jerusalem, Dominum
1:03:33 Sonata sopra 'Sancta Maria' ora pro nobis
1:11:01 Ave maris stella
1:21:20 Magnificat
The historical interest of this work is almost as great as its inherent qualities. Vespers are part of the daily Offices, or Canonical Hours, of the church, music for the Offices including psalms (with antiphons), hymns, and canticles, as well as chanted lessons (with responsories). Although inspired by the ChurchOffice, Monteverdi's Vespers in many ways transcends the original concept, perfectly exemplifying the transition between austere Renaissance polyphony and sheer Baroque splendor. Monteverdi makes his characteristic contribution to sacred music in a bold, almost operatic, style, complete with daring stereophonic and echo effects, and includes a suite of instrumental dances, concerti sections for both voices and orchestra, and a love song. Completed in 1610, the Vespers was written for the court of the Gonzaga family in Mantua, where Monteverdi was employed from 1590 to 1612, and dedicated to Pope Paul V. But the composition's true home is undoubtedly the cathedral of St. Mark in Venice, where Monteverdi was appointed maestro di cappella in 1613. Indeed, the Vespers could well have been conceived with its echoing spaces, galleries, balconies, organ, and choir lofts in mind.
The overture, for choir and orchestra, is manifestly operatic, and close to that of Monteverdi's first opera, Orfeo - an upsurge of joyous energy, interposed by an orchestral toccata and ending with a jubilant Alleluia. The instrumentation (cornets, sackbuts, a variety of single and double reeds, recorders, strings, organ, and harpsichord) is, with the exception of the instrumental ritornelli, mainly intended to contribute to the formal structure of the choral sections, coloring the choir in the manner of organ stops, as in the "Dixit Dominus," "Laetatus sum," "Audi, coelum," and the beginning and end of the closing Magnificat, the climax of the whole work. The ways in which Monteverdi treats the cantus firmus by incorporating it into the counterpoint of the choral writing, as in "Dixit Dominus" (Psalm109), is not found in earlier choral literature, nor is the flowing, unfettered parlando (recitation) style used in "Nigra sum," a metrically free poem with allusions to the biblical Song of Solomon. The concerto "Due Seraphim" is probably the most interesting section in the Vespers. It is set for two "answering" voices - a sort of singing competition for angels - and almost exceeds the limits of human vocal technique. The choral writing is also demanding in its splendor and complexity, much of it in six, seven, and, as in the psalm "Laudate pueri," eight parts; yet the simplicity of the two-part hymn Ave Maris stella is also among the many treasures of this magnificent work.
Back in 2010, Gardiner had already conducted the Vespro at Versailles' Chapelle Royale, winning broad acclaim; this is the reason why it was decided to film the 2014 concert. The title page of the first edition is inscribed "ad Sacella sive Principum Cubicula accomodata Opera" (for use in princely rooms and chapels). According to the conductor, Versailles Chapelle Royale is the perfect place to perform this masterpiece, because the spatial disposition makes the audience experience the feeling of Renaissance concerts: the architecture and the various levels enhance the echo and the dialogs between the singers, performing from different heights.
Silvia Frigato, Emanuela Galli, sopranos
Raffaele Pè, alto
Krystian Adam, Nicholas Mulroy, Gareth Treseder, tenors
Alexander Ashworth, Robert Davies, bass
The Monteverdi ChoirThe English Baroque Soloists
Les Pages du Centre de musique baroque de Versailles
John Eliot GardinerRoyal Chapel at Versailles (Versailles, France)
Movie director: Stéphan AubéProduction: Wahoo - Château de VersaillesDisclaimer: All the music video belong to their rightful owners and creators, to whom all credit goes. My intend is purely for educational purposes and to expose more people to these wonderful works. I do not intend any copyright infringement and will gladly remove this video if asked to.

John Eliot Gardiner: English Baroque Soloists

Sir John Eliot Gardiner discusses the creation of theEnglish Baroque Soloists.
Learn more: http://bit.ly/BeforeBach
Hearing the music of Bach and Handel performed with historically informed style and instruments led to an explosion in popularity of their music in recent times. Now, after several generations of performers honing these skills, their same approach is dazzling audiences with music written before 1685—the birth year of both Bach and Handel. This season, Carnegie Hall brings together an impressive assemblage of these artists for Before Bach, a month-long focus on the exciting music of that time.

Sir John Eliot Gardiner discusses the creation of theEnglish Baroque Soloists.
Learn more: http://bit.ly/BeforeBach
Hearing the music of Bach and Handel performed with historically informed style and instruments led to an explosion in popularity of their music in recent times. Now, after several generations of performers honing these skills, their same approach is dazzling audiences with music written before 1685—the birth year of both Bach and Handel. This season, Carnegie Hall brings together an impressive assemblage of these artists for Before Bach, a month-long focus on the exciting music of that time.

Sir John Eliot Gardiner discusses the creation of theEnglish Baroque Soloists.
Learn more: http://bit.ly/BeforeBach
Hearing the music of Bach and Handel performed with historically informed style and instruments led to an explosion in popularity of their music in recent times. Now, after several generations of performers honing these skills, their same approach is dazzling audiences with music written before 1685—the birth year of both Bach and Handel. This season, Carnegie Hall brings together an impressive assemblage of these artists for Before Bach, a month-long focus on the exciting music of that time.

Claudio Monteverdi - Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610. Sir John Eliot Gardiner at the VersaillesChapelle Royale with the Monteverdi Choir, the English Baroque Soloists and the Pages du Centre de musique Baroque de Versailles, Palace of Versailles, 2014. In 1964, Gardiner conducted it for the first time, and then he decided to found the Monteverdi Choir. This concert actually marks the 50th anniversary of this world-renowned vocal ensemble. Monteverdi Choir & Orchestras, please visit the support section of the website http://www.monteverdi.co.uk/support
Parts:
2:10 Domine ad adiuvandum
4:38 Dixit Dominus
13:13 Nigra sum sed formosa
17:58 Laudate, pueri, Dominum
24:15 Pulchra es, amica mea
28:32 Laetatus sum
36:24 Duo Seraphim clamabant
43:53 Nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum
48:54 Audi, coelum, verba mea
58:08 Lauda, Jerusalem, Dominum
1:03:33 Sonata sopra 'Sancta Maria' ora pro nobis
1:11:01 Ave maris stella
1:21:20 Magnificat
The historical interest of this work is almost as great as its inherent qualities. Vespers are part of the daily Offices, or Canonical Hours, of the church, music for the Offices including psalms (with antiphons), hymns, and canticles, as well as chanted lessons (with responsories). Although inspired by the ChurchOffice, Monteverdi's Vespers in many ways transcends the original concept, perfectly exemplifying the transition between austere Renaissance polyphony and sheer Baroque splendor. Monteverdi makes his characteristic contribution to sacred music in a bold, almost operatic, style, complete with daring stereophonic and echo effects, and includes a suite of instrumental dances, concerti sections for both voices and orchestra, and a love song. Completed in 1610, the Vespers was written for the court of the Gonzaga family in Mantua, where Monteverdi was employed from 1590 to 1612, and dedicated to Pope Paul V. But the composition's true home is undoubtedly the cathedral of St. Mark in Venice, where Monteverdi was appointed maestro di cappella in 1613. Indeed, the Vespers could well have been conceived with its echoing spaces, galleries, balconies, organ, and choir lofts in mind.
The overture, for choir and orchestra, is manifestly operatic, and close to that of Monteverdi's first opera, Orfeo - an upsurge of joyous energy, interposed by an orchestral toccata and ending with a jubilant Alleluia. The instrumentation (cornets, sackbuts, a variety of single and double reeds, recorders, strings, organ, and harpsichord) is, with the exception of the instrumental ritornelli, mainly intended to contribute to the formal structure of the choral sections, coloring the choir in the manner of organ stops, as in the "Dixit Dominus," "Laetatus sum," "Audi, coelum," and the beginning and end of the closing Magnificat, the climax of the whole work. The ways in which Monteverdi treats the cantus firmus by incorporating it into the counterpoint of the choral writing, as in "Dixit Dominus" (Psalm109), is not found in earlier choral literature, nor is the flowing, unfettered parlando (recitation) style used in "Nigra sum," a metrically free poem with allusions to the biblical Song of Solomon. The concerto "Due Seraphim" is probably the most interesting section in the Vespers. It is set for two "answering" voices - a sort of singing competition for angels - and almost exceeds the limits of human vocal technique. The choral writing is also demanding in its splendor and complexity, much of it in six, seven, and, as in the psalm "Laudate pueri," eight parts; yet the simplicity of the two-part hymn Ave Maris stella is also among the many treasures of this magnificent work.
Back in 2010, Gardiner had already conducted the Vespro at Versailles' Chapelle Royale, winning broad acclaim; this is the reason why it was decided to film the 2014 concert. The title page of the first edition is inscribed "ad Sacella sive Principum Cubicula accomodata Opera" (for use in princely rooms and chapels). According to the conductor, Versailles Chapelle Royale is the perfect place to perform this masterpiece, because the spatial disposition makes the audience experience the feeling of Renaissance concerts: the architecture and the various levels enhance the echo and the dialogs between the singers, performing from different heights.
Silvia Frigato, Emanuela Galli, sopranos
Raffaele Pè, alto
Krystian Adam, Nicholas Mulroy, Gareth Treseder, tenors
Alexander Ashworth, Robert Davies, bass
The Monteverdi ChoirThe English Baroque Soloists
Les Pages du Centre de musique baroque de Versailles
John Eliot GardinerRoyal Chapel at Versailles (Versailles, France)
Movie director: Stéphan AubéProduction: Wahoo - Château de VersaillesDisclaimer: All the music video belong to their rightful owners and creators, to whom all credit goes. My intend is purely for educational purposes and to expose more people to these wonderful works. I do not intend any copyright infringement and will gladly remove this video if asked to.

Claudio Monteverdi - Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610. Sir John Eliot Gardiner at the VersaillesChapelle Royale with the Monteverdi Choir, the English Baroque Soloists and the Pages du Centre de musique Baroque de Versailles, Palace of Versailles, 2014. In 1964, Gardiner conducted it for the first time, and then he decided to found the Monteverdi Choir. This concert actually marks the 50th anniversary of this world-renowned vocal ensemble. Monteverdi Choir & Orchestras, please visit the support section of the website http://www.monteverdi.co.uk/support
Parts:
2:10 Domine ad adiuvandum
4:38 Dixit Dominus
13:13 Nigra sum sed formosa
17:58 Laudate, pueri, Dominum
24:15 Pulchra es, amica mea
28:32 Laetatus sum
36:24 Duo Seraphim clamabant
43:53 Nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum
48:54 Audi, coelum, verba mea
58:08 Lauda, Jerusalem, Dominum
1:03:33 Sonata sopra 'Sancta Maria' ora pro nobis
1:11:01 Ave maris stella
1:21:20 Magnificat
The historical interest of this work is almost as great as its inherent qualities. Vespers are part of the daily Offices, or Canonical Hours, of the church, music for the Offices including psalms (with antiphons), hymns, and canticles, as well as chanted lessons (with responsories). Although inspired by the ChurchOffice, Monteverdi's Vespers in many ways transcends the original concept, perfectly exemplifying the transition between austere Renaissance polyphony and sheer Baroque splendor. Monteverdi makes his characteristic contribution to sacred music in a bold, almost operatic, style, complete with daring stereophonic and echo effects, and includes a suite of instrumental dances, concerti sections for both voices and orchestra, and a love song. Completed in 1610, the Vespers was written for the court of the Gonzaga family in Mantua, where Monteverdi was employed from 1590 to 1612, and dedicated to Pope Paul V. But the composition's true home is undoubtedly the cathedral of St. Mark in Venice, where Monteverdi was appointed maestro di cappella in 1613. Indeed, the Vespers could well have been conceived with its echoing spaces, galleries, balconies, organ, and choir lofts in mind.
The overture, for choir and orchestra, is manifestly operatic, and close to that of Monteverdi's first opera, Orfeo - an upsurge of joyous energy, interposed by an orchestral toccata and ending with a jubilant Alleluia. The instrumentation (cornets, sackbuts, a variety of single and double reeds, recorders, strings, organ, and harpsichord) is, with the exception of the instrumental ritornelli, mainly intended to contribute to the formal structure of the choral sections, coloring the choir in the manner of organ stops, as in the "Dixit Dominus," "Laetatus sum," "Audi, coelum," and the beginning and end of the closing Magnificat, the climax of the whole work. The ways in which Monteverdi treats the cantus firmus by incorporating it into the counterpoint of the choral writing, as in "Dixit Dominus" (Psalm109), is not found in earlier choral literature, nor is the flowing, unfettered parlando (recitation) style used in "Nigra sum," a metrically free poem with allusions to the biblical Song of Solomon. The concerto "Due Seraphim" is probably the most interesting section in the Vespers. It is set for two "answering" voices - a sort of singing competition for angels - and almost exceeds the limits of human vocal technique. The choral writing is also demanding in its splendor and complexity, much of it in six, seven, and, as in the psalm "Laudate pueri," eight parts; yet the simplicity of the two-part hymn Ave Maris stella is also among the many treasures of this magnificent work.
Back in 2010, Gardiner had already conducted the Vespro at Versailles' Chapelle Royale, winning broad acclaim; this is the reason why it was decided to film the 2014 concert. The title page of the first edition is inscribed "ad Sacella sive Principum Cubicula accomodata Opera" (for use in princely rooms and chapels). According to the conductor, Versailles Chapelle Royale is the perfect place to perform this masterpiece, because the spatial disposition makes the audience experience the feeling of Renaissance concerts: the architecture and the various levels enhance the echo and the dialogs between the singers, performing from different heights.
Silvia Frigato, Emanuela Galli, sopranos
Raffaele Pè, alto
Krystian Adam, Nicholas Mulroy, Gareth Treseder, tenors
Alexander Ashworth, Robert Davies, bass
The Monteverdi ChoirThe English Baroque Soloists
Les Pages du Centre de musique baroque de Versailles
John Eliot GardinerRoyal Chapel at Versailles (Versailles, France)
Movie director: Stéphan AubéProduction: Wahoo - Château de VersaillesDisclaimer: All the music video belong to their rightful owners and creators, to whom all credit goes. My intend is purely for educational purposes and to expose more people to these wonderful works. I do not intend any copyright infringement and will gladly remove this video if asked to.

Claudio Monteverdi - Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610. Sir John Eliot Gardiner at the VersaillesChapelle Royale with the Monteverdi Choir, the English Baroque Soloists and the Pages du Centre de musique Baroque de Versailles, Palace of Versailles, 2014. In 1964, Gardiner conducted it for the first time, and then he decided to found the Monteverdi Choir. This concert actually marks the 50th anniversary of this world-renowned vocal ensemble. Monteverdi Choir & Orchestras, please visit the support section of the website http://www.monteverdi.co.uk/support
Parts:
2:10 Domine ad adiuvandum
4:38 Dixit Dominus
13:13 Nigra sum sed formosa
17:58 Laudate, pueri, Dominum
24:15 Pulchra es, amica mea
28:32 Laetatus sum
36:24 Duo Seraphim clamabant
43:53 Nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum
48:54 Audi, coelum, verba mea
58:08 Lauda, Jerusalem, Dominum
1:03:33 Sonata sopra 'Sancta Maria' ora pro nobis
1:11:01 Ave maris stella
1:21:20 Magnificat
The historical interest of this work is almost as great as its inherent qualities. Vespers are part of the daily Offices, or Canonical Hours, of the church, music for the Offices including psalms (with antiphons), hymns, and canticles, as well as chanted lessons (with responsories). Although inspired by the ChurchOffice, Monteverdi's Vespers in many ways transcends the original concept, perfectly exemplifying the transition between austere Renaissance polyphony and sheer Baroque splendor. Monteverdi makes his characteristic contribution to sacred music in a bold, almost operatic, style, complete with daring stereophonic and echo effects, and includes a suite of instrumental dances, concerti sections for both voices and orchestra, and a love song. Completed in 1610, the Vespers was written for the court of the Gonzaga family in Mantua, where Monteverdi was employed from 1590 to 1612, and dedicated to Pope Paul V. But the composition's true home is undoubtedly the cathedral of St. Mark in Venice, where Monteverdi was appointed maestro di cappella in 1613. Indeed, the Vespers could well have been conceived with its echoing spaces, galleries, balconies, organ, and choir lofts in mind.
The overture, for choir and orchestra, is manifestly operatic, and close to that of Monteverdi's first opera, Orfeo - an upsurge of joyous energy, interposed by an orchestral toccata and ending with a jubilant Alleluia. The instrumentation (cornets, sackbuts, a variety of single and double reeds, recorders, strings, organ, and harpsichord) is, with the exception of the instrumental ritornelli, mainly intended to contribute to the formal structure of the choral sections, coloring the choir in the manner of organ stops, as in the "Dixit Dominus," "Laetatus sum," "Audi, coelum," and the beginning and end of the closing Magnificat, the climax of the whole work. The ways in which Monteverdi treats the cantus firmus by incorporating it into the counterpoint of the choral writing, as in "Dixit Dominus" (Psalm109), is not found in earlier choral literature, nor is the flowing, unfettered parlando (recitation) style used in "Nigra sum," a metrically free poem with allusions to the biblical Song of Solomon. The concerto "Due Seraphim" is probably the most interesting section in the Vespers. It is set for two "answering" voices - a sort of singing competition for angels - and almost exceeds the limits of human vocal technique. The choral writing is also demanding in its splendor and complexity, much of it in six, seven, and, as in the psalm "Laudate pueri," eight parts; yet the simplicity of the two-part hymn Ave Maris stella is also among the many treasures of this magnificent work.
Back in 2010, Gardiner had already conducted the Vespro at Versailles' Chapelle Royale, winning broad acclaim; this is the reason why it was decided to film the 2014 concert. The title page of the first edition is inscribed "ad Sacella sive Principum Cubicula accomodata Opera" (for use in princely rooms and chapels). According to the conductor, Versailles Chapelle Royale is the perfect place to perform this masterpiece, because the spatial disposition makes the audience experience the feeling of Renaissance concerts: the architecture and the various levels enhance the echo and the dialogs between the singers, performing from different heights.
Silvia Frigato, Emanuela Galli, sopranos
Raffaele Pè, alto
Krystian Adam, Nicholas Mulroy, Gareth Treseder, tenors
Alexander Ashworth, Robert Davies, bass
The Monteverdi ChoirThe English Baroque Soloists
Les Pages du Centre de musique baroque de Versailles
John Eliot GardinerRoyal Chapel at Versailles (Versailles, France)
Movie director: Stéphan AubéProduction: Wahoo - Château de VersaillesDisclaimer: All the music video belong to their rightful owners and creators, to whom all credit goes. My intend is purely for educational purposes and to expose more people to these wonderful works. I do not intend any copyright infringement and will gladly remove this video if asked to.

Claudio Monteverdi - Vespro della Beata Vergine, 1610. Sir John Eliot Gardiner at the VersaillesChapelle Royale with the Monteverdi Choir, the English Baroque Soloists and the Pages du Centre de musique Baroque de Versailles, Palace of Versailles, 2014. In 1964, Gardiner conducted it for the first time, and then he decided to found the Monteverdi Choir. This concert actually marks the 50th anniversary of this world-renowned vocal ensemble. Monteverdi Choir & Orchestras, please visit the support section of the website http://www.monteverdi.co.uk/support
Parts:
2:10 Domine ad adiuvandum
4:38 Dixit Dominus
13:13 Nigra sum sed formosa
17:58 Laudate, pueri, Dominum
24:15 Pulchra es, amica mea
28:32 Laetatus sum
36:24 Duo Seraphim clamabant
43:53 Nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum
48:54 Audi, coelum, verba mea
58:08 Lauda, Jerusalem, Dominum
1:03:33 Sonata sopra 'Sancta Maria' ora pro nobis
1:11:01 Ave maris stella
1:21:20 Magnificat
The historical interest of this work is almost as great as its inherent qualities. Vespers are part of the daily Offices, or Canonical Hours, of the church, music for the Offices including psalms (with antiphons), hymns, and canticles, as well as chanted lessons (with responsories). Although inspired by the ChurchOffice, Monteverdi's Vespers in many ways transcends the original concept, perfectly exemplifying the transition between austere Renaissance polyphony and sheer Baroque splendor. Monteverdi makes his characteristic contribution to sacred music in a bold, almost operatic, style, complete with daring stereophonic and echo effects, and includes a suite of instrumental dances, concerti sections for both voices and orchestra, and a love song. Completed in 1610, the Vespers was written for the court of the Gonzaga family in Mantua, where Monteverdi was employed from 1590 to 1612, and dedicated to Pope Paul V. But the composition's true home is undoubtedly the cathedral of St. Mark in Venice, where Monteverdi was appointed maestro di cappella in 1613. Indeed, the Vespers could well have been conceived with its echoing spaces, galleries, balconies, organ, and choir lofts in mind.
The overture, for choir and orchestra, is manifestly operatic, and close to that of Monteverdi's first opera, Orfeo - an upsurge of joyous energy, interposed by an orchestral toccata and ending with a jubilant Alleluia. The instrumentation (cornets, sackbuts, a variety of single and double reeds, recorders, strings, organ, and harpsichord) is, with the exception of the instrumental ritornelli, mainly intended to contribute to the formal structure of the choral sections, coloring the choir in the manner of organ stops, as in the "Dixit Dominus," "Laetatus sum," "Audi, coelum," and the beginning and end of the closing Magnificat, the climax of the whole work. The ways in which Monteverdi treats the cantus firmus by incorporating it into the counterpoint of the choral writing, as in "Dixit Dominus" (Psalm109), is not found in earlier choral literature, nor is the flowing, unfettered parlando (recitation) style used in "Nigra sum," a metrically free poem with allusions to the biblical Song of Solomon. The concerto "Due Seraphim" is probably the most interesting section in the Vespers. It is set for two "answering" voices - a sort of singing competition for angels - and almost exceeds the limits of human vocal technique. The choral writing is also demanding in its splendor and complexity, much of it in six, seven, and, as in the psalm "Laudate pueri," eight parts; yet the simplicity of the two-part hymn Ave Maris stella is also among the many treasures of this magnificent work.
Back in 2010, Gardiner had already conducted the Vespro at Versailles' Chapelle Royale, winning broad acclaim; this is the reason why it was decided to film the 2014 concert. The title page of the first edition is inscribed "ad Sacella sive Principum Cubicula accomodata Opera" (for use in princely rooms and chapels). According to the conductor, Versailles Chapelle Royale is the perfect place to perform this masterpiece, because the spatial disposition makes the audience experience the feeling of Renaissance concerts: the architecture and the various levels enhance the echo and the dialogs between the singers, performing from different heights.
Silvia Frigato, Emanuela Galli, sopranos
Raffaele Pè, alto
Krystian Adam, Nicholas Mulroy, Gareth Treseder, tenors
Alexander Ashworth, Robert Davies, bass
The Monteverdi ChoirThe English Baroque Soloists
Les Pages du Centre de musique baroque de Versailles
John Eliot GardinerRoyal Chapel at Versailles (Versailles, France)
Movie director: Stéphan AubéProduction: Wahoo - Château de VersaillesDisclaimer: All the music video belong to their rightful owners and creators, to whom all credit goes. My intend is purely for educational purposes and to expose more people to these wonderful works. I do not intend any copyright infringement and will gladly remove this video if asked to.